This past winter Metro asked the community to give us feedback on the routing and stop locations for RapidRide E and F Lines, which start rolling in 2013. This feedback will help shape Metro’s final recommendation to the King County Council.
E Line – what we heard
The E Line will travel along Aurora Avenue North between Shoreline and Seattle, replacing Route 358. We are considering two alternative paths in the Green Lake area between North 64th Street and Winona Avenue North, and asked which option people prefer. We also asked people to comment on the stop locations–any they would add or take away. More than 2,500 took the time to share their thoughts. Here’s a summary of the themes that emerged:
- Concern about pedestrian crossings on Aurora Avenue N at 68th Street;
- Concern that the Linden Avenue N routing would add travel time;
- General support for the number and location of stations and stops;
- Interest in adding stops at Aurora Avenue N at 80th, 50th and 38th Streets, and on Linden Avenue N at 64th Street; and
- Concern about locating stops on Linden Avenue N at 68th Street, adjacent to singe-family residences.
F Line -what we heard
The F Line will operate between Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Renton, replacing Route 140. We wanted to learn what people thought about several different routing options between Burien and Renton, and a possible future extension of the line to the Renton Landing. Nearly 300 participated in this outreach effort and here’s what we heard:
- No clear preference for a routing option near the Tukwila Station;
- Slight preference for the Park Avenue N routing if RapidRide F Line was extended to The Landing;
- General support for the number and location of stations and stops; and
- Interest in adding a stop at Lind Ave SW and SW 16th St.
Moving forward
In the coming weeks Metro will be sending a recommendation (ordinance package) for E and F Line final routing and stop locations to the Council for their consideration. People will be able to participate in the Council’s review process–attending Council meetings or sending in their comments via email or phone. We’ll be posting updates about the ordinance package and Council meetings here, so stay tuned!
Can’t travel pass Downtown Renton. Most buses terminate in Downtown Renton, then you have to hang out with obnoxious teenagers while waiting for another bus. Do not terminate this line in Downtown Renton, let it go through north to Highlands at least. I agree with the above posts that 140 route is not a priority for a rapid ride. South end of Renton is choking in traffic… traffic that is going north-south. Route 169 gets very full in the morning with people who are traveling north to Bellevue and Seattle, not Burien. But because everything from the south terminates in Downtown Renton, I don’t even bother taking a bus, i just drive. If it has to be an east-west corridor, than it is definitely the corridor between Benson Hill and Seatac. it has a lot regional employment that actually provides free bus passes to employees, like Valley Medical. Very high residential density in Benson Hill and Fairwood, and on the western end it’s Seatac Airport, which is a much more frequent place to go than Burien or Kent, or Downtown Renton. I hope to see this new line serving the corridor that is in demand for people and not just duplicating some old tired bus route that people use only because there is nothing direct available. I definitely agree that this line should at least serve Valley Medical, Renton City Hall, The Landing and Boeing, and it should NOT terminate at the Renton Transit center. There is nothing there and buses get stuck in small downtown streets during rush hours. No more downtown Renton please, just pass through it to Seattle, Seatac, Bellevue from Benson Hill, Highlands, Talbot Hill. Just look at traffic patterns and you will see where the demand is. It is definitely not between Downtown Renton and Burien. Especially since you bypass most important locations such as Valley Medical and Seatac Airport.
I don’t understand why this route was picked for a rapid ride. It doesn’t make any sense to travel between downtown Renton and Tukwila sounder and light rail stations. There is nothing at those locations except to make a transfer, but there are definitely much faster and more direct options to get to downtown Seattle from downtown Renton and back. There is more need for transit east-west on Petrovitsky/180th corridor between Fairwood and Seatac Airport than on Grady way between downtown Renton and Burien or Tukwila sounder station. Traffic is horrendous near Valley Medical Center on 180th, yet there is barely any reliable transit service available. If you want to go west to Seatac, you’ll have to detour north through downtown Renton and make transfers. There are so many buses terminating in downtown Renton, yet there is nothing really there. Most businesses have big parking lots and not many people live there, and there are not many employers either. Most riders come to/from the hills in Renton. It’s weird that Benson Hill/Talbot Hill have regular bus service to Kent(?!) but not to important places like Seattle, Bellevue, and Seatac. You can’t even travel between south Renton and north Renton by bus, everything terminates in downtown Renton in the middle of nowhere. So please take a close look at what you are doing, because this rapid line F doesn’t make sense. Route 140 serves as a transfer route anyways, so it is the last resort for most commuters. Usually no one even travels the whole route, last time I used it everyone got off in Southcenter and brand new people got on. Burien-Renton is not even a transit corridor, let alone a busy one. Route 101,169 together as one route is a super busy corridor. Same goes for 240 and 169 as one route. Route 102 is a busy corridor too. 155 is a busy corridor if extended to Seatac, but it’s current route only works for kids who work in Southcenter stores and live in SE Renton. But to say that 140 route is a busy one and needs more service, that’s just not true. I find it hard to believe that so many people need to travel between Renton and Burien that it will justify funding for this line.
I do not see a need or demand to turn 140 into a Rapid Ride. It bypasses many important destinations nearby like Valley Medical Center, Ikea business district, and the crowded Benson Hill… Seriously, who in Renton or Burien needs to go to Tukwila sounder station?! That train will only take you downtown like 2 times a day. There are much faster ways to get downtown. Nobody really lives or works in downtown Renton. Renton is very busy on the outskirts but not downtown. There is no residential or business density at all, just huge big box stores and endless parking lots. Who even needs to travel between downtown Burien and downtown Renton?! Everything that downtown Burien has, Renton has as well. The real demand is north-south in the corridor that is served by routes 101, 102, 160… and to Bellevue too. Anything south of downtown Renton is very underserved by transit. Traffic is bumper to bumper everyday between I-405 and Benson Hill. Huge regional destinations like Valley Medical and Renton City Hall have no regional transit routes coming anywhere near them. This proposal ignores those destinations as well. Instead you are proposing to have this line go through all the big box stores on Rainier avenue where everything is built for cars and demand for transit is low. I don’t see any logic in this. Turn 101 into a Raipid Ride and extend it south to Valley Medical and Benson Hill. That’s the corridor that needs relief, not route 140 corridor. In fact 140 duplicates 560 already. Getting rid of 140 and extending 155 to Seatac on 180/176 street corridor will connect way more riders on route 155 and will get many people out of cars as well. The demand is in different corridors, and it’s not in the one that you are proposing for this Rapid Ride.
Extending the F line to Renton Landing Would make sense. I do hope you do it from the beginning and not in the future. The Landing is such a great destination and to be able to access via the F line would make it an even more attractive destination. Just do it.